US holds Assad regime responsible for Syria chemical weapons attack

Washington: The Obama Administration has held the Assad regime solely responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria and asserted that it would pay the price for this gross violation of the international norm.

"There is no doubt that an essential international norm has been violated. Chemical weapons have been used. Everyone acknowledges their use. No one doubts that innocent men, women and children have been the victims of chemical weapons attacks in Syria," US Vice President Joe Biden said in his address to the American Legion 95th National Convention in Houston.

"And there is no doubt who is responsible for this heinous use of chemical weapons in Syria: the Syrian regime. For we know that the Syrian regime are the only ones who have used chemical weapons multiple times in the past, have the means of delivering those weapons, have been determined to wipe out exactly the places that were attacked by chemical weapons," added Biden.

This is the highest level of attack against the Assad regime so far. Biden said national security is strengthened when it holds accountable those who violate international norms that are the foundation of global security, and ultimately, American security.

The White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters that the violation of an international norm merits a response. "It is our view that the use of chemical weapons on the scale that we have seen now, on August 21st in Syria, merits a response.